"Police and thieves in the streets, oh yeah! Scaring the nation with their guns and ammunition."
Many will already be familiar with the title track of Junior Murvin's debut "solo" album, as The Clash recorded "Police & Thieves" less than a year later for their eponymously titled debut. While The Clash's Punk-Reggae interpretation is memorable, Lee "Scratch" Perry's Dub-informed production and Murvin's unparalleled vocals make the original version truly definitive. If your knowledge of Roots-Reggae begins and ends with Bob Marley, you are in for a revelation because Murvin brings an entirely different vocal style to these songs. While Marley's vocals add Rock and Folk influences to the Caribbean mix, Murvin seems to be channeling the ghosts of 1960s Motown and R&B, but these comparisons do neither artist any justice. If you want to understand why Police & Thieves is widely considered one of the essential Roots-Reggae albums, listen to Murvin's prophesying falsetto roaring through Perry's trademark heavily reverbed production, creating a dark and intense musical template for these tales of social unrest and spiritual reckoning.
Police & Thieves (2003 Remastered Edition)
1. Roots Train (3:46)
2. Police & Thieves (3:52)
3. Solomon (2:56)
4. Rescue Jah Children (3:47)
5. Tedious (5:01)
6. False Teachin' (4:07)
7. Easy Task (3:49)
8. Lucifer (3:14)
9. Workin' in the Cornfield (3:47)
10. I Was Appointed (3:53)
-Bonus Tracks-
11. Childhood Sweetheart (2:55)
12. Bad Weed (Disco Mix) (8:19)
13. Roots Train (Extended Mix) (9:03)
14. Memories (8:46)
15. Rasta Get Ready (3:13)
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